Fifth And Final Day of Dharna: Strenghtened Resolve to Fight in The Coming Days

Representatives of all the people's movements' finalized a strategy for the future on the fifth day of the ongoing dharna in Nehru Garden near the Mantralaya.

Today, a meeting was held with the Minister of State for Home Sh Sayyed Ahmed to discuss the various issues of slum dwellers, footpath dwellers and people staying in the Sanjay Gandhi national park in which among others Smt Vidya Chavan, Smt Medha Patkar, Sh Machindra Wankhade and Sh Raju Bhise were present. The meeting was with respect to the problems being faced by the slum dwellers of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Also it was demanded that in the name of SRA and TDR builders should not be allowed to make profit. Also it was stated that the problems of slum dwellers are going to end only when housing co-operatives are formed for them.

Earlier on 24th April Sh Suresh Jain, Food and Civil Supplies Minister assured that he will be coming to Nandurbar on the 16th May to discuss and resolve the issue of PDS with the Andolan. He assured that if any person despite being in the BPL list is not issued a ration card, then the concerned Ration Controller of the Tehsil would be held responsible. In the overview committee set up to look in the PDS there will be a representative from the Andolan's side as well as one women representative.

On 8th May, detailed discussions will be held with the Chief Minister and other Ministers on all the issues on which people had been agitating for the past five days and demanding satisfactory reply from the government's side. The Peoples Movement's representatives said that they will be keeping an eye on the decisions the government is going to take in the next few days and whether they are being implemented in full spirit.

Later on in the evening a massive public meeting was held in the Nehru Garden, the place of dharna where people from different walks of life had come to express their support. Dr GG Parikh, Mangalbhen Parik, Sh Nagesh Hatkar and Sh Jyoti Kelkar spoke on the occasion among various others. A massive rally, in which more than thousand people participated, was then taken from the Nehru Garden to Mumbai CST station. People sat down in front of Churchgate station for more than half an hour and said that if their demands are not met then they are going to come back.